Dr.Garber’s Blog

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The positive effects attained by homeopathic medicines are often attributed by homeopathy’s detractors to the placebo effect. This phenomenon, while misunderstood by many as something that is not real, is nonetheless a very real part of the human experience. This is why drug studies are conducted as “placebo-controlled” trials - to allow for the fact that participants in the trial will manifest symptoms whether they are given the actual drug being tested or a sugar pill (the placebo.)

To discover whether or not people taking homeopathic medicines are subject to a greater placebo effect than pharmaceutical drugs, as the critics of homeopathy claim, German investigators conducted a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. The study concluded that the placebo effect is no greater in homeopathy than with conventional drugs:

Homeopathy. 2010 Jan;99(1):76-82.

Placebo effect sizes in homeopathic compared to conventional drugs - a systematic review of randomised controlled trials.

Nuhn T, Lüdtke R, Geraedts M.

Klinik Roderbirken, Roderbirken 1, 42799 Leichlingen, Germany.

Abstract:

PMID: 20129180 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

A new study has shown the efficacy of homeopathic medicines in the treatment of moderate to severe depression. The study, conducted at the outpatient clinic at Jundiaí Medical School (Faculdade de Medicina de Jundiaí, São Paulo, Brazil) is the first randomized controlled double-blind trial with a reasonable number of subjects to draw conclusions about the homeopathic treatment of depression. Homeopathy is recognized as a medical specialty in Brazil.

Published in eCAM (an online journal of the Oxford University Press) this study showed that individually selected homeopathic remedies were as effective and were safer than Fluorxetin (Prozac.) You can read the entire study at  http://ecam.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/nep114v1

This is a very exciting study that will go a long way towards the furthering of quality homeopathic research. The study did use individually selected remedies for each participant which ultimately is the best way to treat any illness. For people who don’t have access to a homeopathic physician and are looking for a non-pharmaceutical  approach to dealing with depression, my biotherapy formula for depression has been shown to be a safe and effective way to help with this problem as well as the stress of everyday life.

As of this writing there are no fewer than four major blazes around Southern California, creating some really bad air even here at the beach where I live. Don’t let those beautiful sunsets fool you - this can impact your health significantly. But there are actions you can take to protect yourself.

The American Lung Association recommends remaining indoors if you are in close proximity to the fire. In surrounding areas, if you can smell the smoke or your eyes or throat feel irritated, don’t exercise. Children need to be especially careful as their lungs are more susceptible to smoke. For those with existing respiratory conditions or heart disease, there are even more precautions to be taken. Details can be found on the American Lung Association’s Forest Fires and Respiratory Health Fact Sheet.

Another thing you will find very helpful in protecting your lungs from air turned acrid from fire, or just the pollution of every day air, is Dr. Garber’s Natural Solutions for Lungs. I will tell you that many of my patients with sensitive respiratory symptoms have found that taking this formula when the air is bad prevents the irritation that would otherwise trigger an asthma attack. The same goes for those whose reaction to bad air is sinus congestion or headache.

And don’t forget you pets. They are as susceptible to bad air as you are. Use the same precautions for them as you do for yourself. Keep an eye out for any signs of respiratory distress, especially in older animals, which may present as sneezing, coughing or wheezing. If you notice any of these, bring them inside if they have been out and give them some of my lung formula as well.

The number of Americans using antidepressants doubled in only a decade, while the number seeing psychiatrists continued to fall, a study shows. About 10% of Americans — or 27 million people — were taking antidepressants in 2005, the last year for which data were available at the time the study was written. That’s about twice the number in 1996, according to the study of nearly 50,000 children and adults in today’s Archives of General Psychiatry. Yet the majority weren’t being treated for depression. Half of those taking antidepressants used them for back pain, nerve pain, fatigue, sleep difficulties or other problems, the study says.

Click here to read the whole story from USA Today

Dr. Garber’s Comments:

The information in this article raises so many issues it’s hard to know where to even start. More and more people are being prescribed antidepressants, not necessarily for depression and not necessarily by psychiatrists. There are serious consequences to taking these drugs as I have discussed many times before. The whole concept of the “off-label” use of drugs and how the pharmaceutical companies promote it is finally coming under scrutiny, as recently witnessed by Pfizer’s $2.3 billion fine for it’s dangerous off-label promotion of several of it’s drugs. The fact that many people who would benefit from psychiatric care don’t get it because of inadequate or no insurance coverage for that type of care, and end up being prescribed potentially harmful drugs by by doctors who’s expertise lay elsewhere, is just one small piece of the current health care delivery mess we have now.

Click here to learn about Dr. Garber’s safe and effective homeopathic depression formula

Can’t sleep? You have plenty of company. About half of all adults experience insomnia on occasion, and 1 in 10 battle insomnia on a regular basis, according to the Cleveland Clinic. If you fall into one of those groups, chances are you’re already following the tried-and-true rules for a good night’s sleep: Don’t have too much caffeine (especially late in the day), don’t exercise late at night, keep your bedroom at a cool, comfortable temperature, and make sure your bed, pillows and linens are comfy. Those are all good tips, but there are lesser-known things you can try to help you get more rest.

Click here to read the whole story from Woman’s Day

Dr. Garber’s Comments:

Of the tips presented in this article, some are tried and true while some may surprise you. For instance, not trying to clear your mind. Trying to clear you mind of the persistent thoughts keeping you awake can backfire if you’re not able to do it. Along those same lines, looking at the clock only forces your mind to calculate how much, or rather how little, time you have left before you have to get up, further stimulating your mind awake. Something I stress to everyone is never watch the news on TV before going to sleep - it’s sure to adversely effect the quality of your sleep. One topic conspicuously absent from this article is that of beds and mattresses. Physical comfort and support is extremely important to a good night’s sleep. I will be discussing these and more in a tele-seminar on sleep later this year. Keep an eye out for details.

Click here to learn about Dr. Garber’s safe and effective homeopathic sleep formula

Suicides are on the rise because of this economy. People are stalled in their lives due to fear and uncertainty. President Roosevelt was right when he said “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Let’s turn that darkness into light.

HELP ME HELP THE WORLD!

My formulas for Sleep, Anxiety and Depression will help you, your friends and loved ones better deal with today’s unprecedented challenges. Without the harmful side effects of pharmaceuticals. They are safe and effective and have been prescribed successfully by doctors to thousands of patients over the years. Together we can help millions!

HELP ME HELP THE WORLD!

Because this is so important to me, and I know that money is tight for everyone, from now through Independence Day (July 4, 2009) you will be able to buy Dr. Garber’s Natural Solutions for Sleep, Anxiety and Depression at 50% off the retail price. Buy for yourself and for someone you know who could use a helping hand. To order, click on the following links: Sleep, Anxiety, Depression.

Together we can get through this and bring a sense of well being to everyone we know.

HELP ME HELP THE WORLD!

Thank you for your support.

Please forward this message to a friend.

The successful use of homeopathic remedies for disease prevention has been around for over 200 years, even before Jenner developed his smallpox vaccine, with documented studies dating back to 1907. Known as homeoprophylaxis, and commonly (although not quite accurately) called homeopathic vaccination, the process makes use of special homeopathic remedies called nosodes. I discussed the use of one particular homeopathic nosode, Influenzinum, in my recent blog post on swine flu.

Now, the largest known trial of homeopathy for disease prevention has been conducted with remarkable results. Researchers at Cuba’s Finlay Institute, a scientific organization that researches and produces vaccines, recently reported on their successful use of a homeopathic remedy to prevent an outbreak of Leptospirosis, a tropical bacterial disease. 2.4 million at-risk Cuban’s received the Leptospirosis nosode prepared by the Finlay Institute and administered through the Ministry of Health’s public health system infrastructure. Epidemiologists noted a “dramatic decrease in morbidity” and also that confirmed cases were “at low levels and below the expected levels.”

The Finlay Institute has offered it’s facilities and specialists “to all regions needing emergent alternatives for epidemic control and prevention.” The low cost and ease of administration of homeopathic nosodes has the potential to make a huge impact on the world’s health, especially in countries where public health measures are still substandard.

The calls and emails have been pouring in, asking what to do about this swine flu epidemic. The first and most important thing to do is not panic. I believe this whole thing is being blown way out of proportion by the media (what a surprise!) and being fueled by fear.

There is much circulating on the internet right now, telling us the where and why, what to do and what not to do, including conspiracy theories that this mounting pandemic is the result of some secret government tampering, and web sites selling an endless supply of face masks and antimicrobial soaps and sprays. No doubt this deluge of information, misinformation and nonsense has got you even  more confused. Here are my recommendations:

Everything you would do to prevent getting each year’s seasonal flu is exactly what you need to be doing now. A strong immune system is your best defense. Try to avoid crowds and stay well nourished with an adequate intake of both macro-nutrients (high quality proteins, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats) and micro-nutrients (vitamins, minerals and phyto-nutrients.) Especially important are those micro-nutrients which support the immune system such as vitamins A, C and D, the B vitamins and minerals such as zinc. Take the time to properly cool down after exercise. After a hard workout your immune system is temporarily depressed, making you more susceptible. Wash your hands often using regular soap and warm water. Avoid antibacterial soaps - they are no more effective and contribute to the creation of antibiotic resistant bacteria.

For those of you who believe that getting a flu shot will actually help prevent your getting the flu, well, you may have a bit of a wait. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that at best, a vaccine for the swine flu is still several months away. But homeopathy offers a preventative strategy that is available now. From a homeopathic viewpoint, it makes no difference whether we are dealing with swine flu or avian flu or x, y or z flu. They are all similar enough to each other that any flu virus will respond to a homeopathic remedy made from any strain. I have been using this strategy in my practice for several years now with great success. The remedy is Influenzinum 9C and as a preventative is is taken in five doses over a two month period. If you are a patient of mine you have probably already taken a course of this remedy at the beginning of the current flu season. If you have not, the five dose course can be obtained from Homeopathic Educational Services in Berkeley, CA. If you have already started experiencing symptoms of the flu, another homeopathic remedy which has been well documented as being effective in treating flu symptoms is Oscillococcinum.

We are all inundated with far too much when we sit down at our computers. I promised when I started this blog that I would make my posts informative but also concise and succinct - in a word, readable. I hope I have done that here. If you have the time and are looking for additional information on this issue, please  check out the links I have provided below, which are from sources I find reliable. But either way, do take a moment to view the short video I have linked to at the end of this post, “Aporkalypse Now.”

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/28/regular.flu/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

http://www.naturalnews.com/026156.html

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/04/29/Swine-Flu.aspx

From Tara Parker-Pope’s blog in the NY Times today: “And if you’re tired of fretting about swine flu, you can join the folks at Gawker who are complaining about the alarmist nature of the swine flu reporting. Check out their “Aporkalypse Now.”

Anytime a patient comes to see me and gets the help they are looking for with their particular health challenges, I am pleased. What I find particularly rewarding, though, is when I get the chance to help a woman who is having trouble getting pregnant, or maintaining her pregnancy, finally have a baby, and to do so without the high costs, frustrations and, most of all, without the side effects of most fertility treatment.

I know this is a very emotional area for most women, and many men too. It’s certainly understandable that when such an important life event seems to be eluding you, you want to explore every option. When you read the comments on any fertility blog or website they run the gamut from those who say they experienced “some side effects” but felt they were worth it now that they had their baby, to those who experienced more severe side effects, or were bed-ridden for most of their pregnancies, or had multiple births, to those who’s use of fertility drugs may have been responsible for their cancer. [I say "may have been" because although there is a strong association between fertility drugs and various cancers, especially ovarian cancer, a definite causal relationship has not yet been demonstrated.]

There are different reasons why a woman may be unable to conceive, or to maintain a pregnancy, but for the majority it is because of hormonal imbalance. One of my stated purposes for this blog, in addition to providing you with my thoughts on issues of importance to you and your family’s health, is to provide information on treatment alternatives to dangerous pharmaceutical drugs. In this particular area, a homeopathic formula of my own design happens to be the best suggestion I can offer. Dr. Garber’s Natural Solutions FemCycle does just what the name implies - it helps to regulate the female cycle. As I mention in the video above, I originally created this formula for a patient of mine with PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome,) which is a common cause of infertility, who had not been able to successfully conceive. After three months on FemCycle she was pregnant, carried the baby to term and subsequently had another child. FemCycle is not a  treatment just for infertility. It helps to balance the hormones by stimulating the body to produce the appropriate amounts for each woman, not by adding hormones from the outside. In doing so it works on problems that arise in every part of the reproductive years, from young girls having their first periods and experiencing physical discomfort or emotional ups and downs, to women experiencing menstrual irregularities, PMS, dysmenorrhea, painful ovulation and endometriosis, to perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms. I have even seen positive improvements in breast health as demonstrated with breast thermography (more on that in another post.)

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